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- Martin Eberhard claimed that he wrote Elon Musk a letter after SpaceX's first rocket was launched into orbit.
- According to the Tesla cofounder, Musk never contacted him and hasn’t spoken with him for over 14 years.
- They have had a difficult relationship and were known to disagree about Tesla's early history.
Martin Eberhard, cofounder of Tesla, said that he hasn’t spoken to Elon Musk for about 14 years.
Eberhard said that the last time he spoke to him was in 2009 when he settled his lawsuit. "I sent him a congratulatory message when his first rocket reached space. But I didn't get a reply."
SpaceX launched its first rocket to orbit in 2008, and it was successful. SpaceX, a reusable rocket company, had three unsuccessful launches between 2006-2008. Musk stated that the fourth launch in 2008, which was successful and used all of the company's funds, opened the door for SpaceX to be the company it is today.
Over the years, Eberhard has had a difficult relationship with Musk. Musk, the Tesla cofounder, claimed that Musk made him leave the company. He had Tesla's board vote him out of his position as CEO in 2007.
Musk did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Tesla's press office did not respond to emails from insiders seeking comment.
Musk stated that Eberhard's departure was due to delays in production of the Tesla Roadster and other operational problems.
Musk stated that Musk was not concerned about personality differences. Musk also said that Martin's decision to transition to advisory status was unanimous. "Tesla is facing operational problems and Martin would be a part of the solution if the board felt that he could. He would remain an employee of the company."
Eberhard sued Musk two years later after Musk began calling himself a Tesla founder. He claimed libel, and slander. Eberhard also claimed that Musk had made the Roadster's development more expensive and delayed than it should have been. The lawsuit was settled in an undisclosed amount. Musk, JB Straubel, and Ian Wright could also be entitled to the title of Tesla founder. Musk is listed today as a cofounder of the carmaker's website.
Insider was told by Eberhard that he tried to avoid reading Musk news and had his name removed from his news feed.
Eberhard stated that "I don’t need to read any further about him," and added: "What happens? Musk will make some wild-ass claims on Twitter, and suddenly a bunch reporters want to speak to me. This is how I hear about it."
Tesla's early history remains a source of contention between the men. Musk has often criticized Eberhard via Twitter.
Musk tweeted November that "I was the head of product and supervised the design of the first Roadster." "Eberhard was a wealthy man and could have taken on more risk, but he was not willing to."
Eberhard stated that he disagreed about Musk's description of his involvement in Tesla’s early days. Musk was an investor and board member, while Eberhard was the CEO.
Eberhard stated that Musk behaved like any other board member, and visited the company's offices approximately monthly.
Eberhard stated that Elon is now a completely different person than he was in the past. "Elon did not come to the company. This idea that he was involved in designing the Roadster stuff — he was not more involved than any other member of the board. He attended board meetings. He didn't have an office in the company. He did not visit the office often. He didn't give any direction to my employees or anything similar. He was a member of the board.
Musk is almost synonymous with Tesla today. Legends of Musk, a billionaire who pushed for high production targets and slept on Tesla's factory floor, are almost a common legend.
The complete Insider interview with Martin Eberhard.
Are you a Tesla employee or do you have any insight? You can reach the reporter by email at gkay@insider.com or via secure messaging app Signal (248) 894-6012) or Twitter DM @graceihle. Use a non-work device to reach out.
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By: gkay@insider.com (Grace Kay)
Title: Tesla’s first CEO says Elon Musk never replied to a congratulatory note he sent — and hasn’t spoken to him in 14 years
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/tesla-martin-eberhard-not-talked-elon-musk-note-congratulation-spacex-2023-2
Published Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2023 11:35:00 +0000
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